VW teases Project Trinity as new flagship electric vehicle

Volkswagen has released its first design preview for Project Trinity, which will spearhead its electric vehicle program and become the firm’s flagship model.

The Trinity name comes from the merging of three themes that have inspired the model’s development. The first is the newly developed electronics platform, the second is a simplified supply structure, and fully networked and intelligent production at the firm’s main plant in Wolfsburg.

Specifically relating to the car, the Trinity will have Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities when it goes on sale, with the ability to upgrade to Level 4. The firm is also promising to set ‘new standards in range, charging speed and digitalisation’, saying it is targeting ‘charging as fast as refuelling’.

Key to the announcement, though, appears to be related to a shift towards making a ‘software-based product’. Volkswagen says this can help lower the entry barriers to the product, but more interestingly, says vehicles can be updated at any time to include new functions.

This could, theoretically, allow owners to pay more for faster charging capabilities or to unlock more driver assistance technology.

Ralf Brandstatter, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, said: “Trinity is a sort of crystallisation point for our Accelerate strategy, a lighthouse project, our software dream car.

“We will completely rethink the way we build cars and introduce revolutionary approaches. Digitalisation, automation and lightweight construction play an important role here.

“In the future, the individual configuration of the vehicle will no longer be determined by the hardware at the time of purchase. Instead, customers will be able to add functions on demand at any time via the digital ecosystem in the car.”

The production version of Project Trinity will be an electric saloon car and is scheduled to go on sale in 2026.